Dental instrument

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a dental instrument useful for contacting remote surfaces with soft material, which includes a handle sized and shaped to be manipulated by the fingers, and having a smaller diameter axial hole in the end thereof and a larger diameter transverse hole through the side thereof with said holes being positioned to intersect. The instrument includes a swab mounted on a stiff but bendable stem that can be inserted into the axial hole far enough to enter the transverse hole to engage the swab stem and restrain it against movement out of the axial hole.

United States Patent Russell July 29, 1975 1 DENTAL INSTRUMENT Primary Examiner-Robert Peshock 75 Inventor: John R. Russell, Walnut Creek, f Agent firm-warren Chlckenng Calif.

[73] Assignee: E-Z Floss, Palm Springs, Calif. [57] ABSTRACT [22] Filed: 1974 There is disclosed a dental instrument useful for con- 21 L 452,210 tacting remote surfaces with soft material, which includes a handle sized and shaped to be manipulated by the fingers, and having a smaller diameter axial hole in U-S- the end thereof and a larger diameter transverse hole a I a s s s 1 a s 1 e a a v s [58] held of Search 32/34 263 tioned tointersect. The instrument includes a swab f mounted on a stiff but bendable stem that can be in- [56] Re erences C'ted serted into the axial hole far enough to enter the trans- UNITED STATES PATENTS verse hole to engage the swab stem and restrain it 1,245,153 11/1917 Euslin 32/40 R against movement out of the axial hole. 3,575,169 4/1971 VOSS et al. 128/263 7 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DENTAL INSTRUMENT In dental work it is frequently necessary to contact remote surfaces such as those between teeth, beneath gums and the interior of cavities. Frequently, contact with a soft absorbent material is required to wipe away material or to apply liquids. This has been done in the past by wrapping cotton around the end of a small stick or by grasping a cotton ball between the points of tweezers. Swabs made by such previous techniques are large, blunt and so fixed in shape that they cannot reach remote places or be of general utility. Because of their absorbent nature and because they are too difficult to clean, swabs must be disposable and, accordingly, inexpensive.

THE INVENTION This invention is an instrument particularly useful for dentistry which includes a handle, preferably of wood or plastic and shaped to be about the size of a pencil. The handle should be inexpensive and lightweight so that it is easy to use, and it should be of a material that is easy to maintain clean. The handle is provided with an axial hole drilled into the end, which preferably is drilled along the long axis of the handle but which may be drilled parallel to it. The handle is also provided with a transverse hole that is drilled through the body of the handle to intersect the axial hold. The transverse hole is of greater diameter than the axial hole. The handle may be double-sided by providing it with an axial hole and a transverse hole at either end.

The invention also includes a swab that is fixed to the end of a stiff but bendable stem. The stem preferably is a twisted wire and the swab preferably is fibrous material such as cotton, nylon or the like that is caught in the end loop of the twisted wire stem. Swabs of this construction are known. The swab stem is preferably of a metal that is stiff but not elastic so that it can resist bending forces; but that when it is bent, it will remain in its bent position. The stem is small enough in diameter to fit into the axial hole and long enough to reach from the end of the handle, through the axial hole and into the transverse hole.

The invention also includes an element that fits in the transverse hole and holds the swab stem against being pulled out of the axial hole. This element is preferably very simple, such as a wooden pin. If the transverse hole is drilled to be of appropriate size, inexpensive round wooden toothpicks can be used for this purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The device of this invention may be better described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial view, partly in section, of one end of an instrument embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a double-ended instrument embodying this invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial view of one swab construction suitable for use in the instrument of this invention.

The device of this invention is comprised of three major elements. The first major element is the handle which is generally designated 10. The second'major element is the swab which is generally designated 11, and the third major element is the restraining means which is generally designated 12. The handle preferably has a tapered end portion 13 that terminates in a flat end 14. Through the flat end 14 an axial hole 15 is drilled. A transverse hole 16 is drilled entirely through the short dimension of the handle 10 and positioned to intersect the axial'hole 15.

The swab 11 includes a fibrous end portion 17 and a stem 18. The. stem 18 is stiff. but bendable and long enough to extend entirely through axial hole 15 and into transverse hole 16. The portion of stem 18 in transverse hole 16, herein designated 19, is bent at a right angle. The restraining element 12 is forced into the hole 16, in the illustration of FIG. l,'from top to bottom so that it jams against the bent portion 19. The element 12 as stated above may be a simple wooden pin such as a cocktail toothpick; and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the toothpicks may be broken off flush with handle 10 after they are inserted into holes 16.

Although the device of this invention is of very simple construction, it has many advantagesOne advantage is that the user may have the portion of the stem extending from axial hole 16 long or short depending upon how rigid he wants it to be or how remote is the surface to be treated. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the swab may extend straight from the end of the handle 10, or it may be bent at any suitable angle. By having the portion 19 jammed in the hole 16, the swab is restrained against being pulled from the hole 15, is restrained from being pushed further into the hole 15, and it is restrained from rotating independently of the handle 10 so that a user may rotate the handle 10 between his fingers and know that the swab 17 is imparting the same motion against the surface being contacted.

It is also evident that the swab may be assembled and disassembled very rapidly. When a new swab is to be used, the user simply inserts the stem 18 into axial hole 15 and pushes the pin 12 through hole 16 when the swab extends the desired length from the end of handle 10. To disassemble the device, an awl or even a finishing nail of. the proper diameter may be employed to push the pin 12 from the hole 16 after which the swab.

may simply be pulled from the axial hole 15 and discarded.

FIG. 3 illustrates a particularly desirable form for the swab 11. In FIG. 3 a length of wire generally designated 20 is bent in half to form a loop 21 in which fibers 22 are caught. The fibers may be a short length of cotton twine, for example. The wire 20 is then twisted as at 23 so that the loop 21 tightens to restrain the fibers 22. The twisted portion 23 may be made as long as desired in that it will be the stem 18 illustrated in FIG. 1. Wire that is suitable to be twisted and to maintain its twisted form without undue spring-back is of about the proper malleability to be useful as a stiff but bendable stem for the swab.

Although the device of this invention has been described with reference to being a dental instrument, it is obvious that it will have more general utility. Swabs of this nature are useful in any activity where a surface must be contacted with a soft material or a liquid absorbent material, particularly when those surfaces are small or difficult to reach. The device of this invention is useful for physicians, naturalists, repairmen, and the like, in addition to dentists.

What is claimed is:

1. An instrument useful for contacting surfaces with soft material comprising an elongated handle having an axial hole in the end thereof and a transverse hole through the side thereof with the transverse hole interr V 3 3 t t secting the axial hole and being of larger diameter than the axial hole; a swab connected to a stiff, bendable stem with the stem being dimensioned to he irisertable "intorithe axial hole and to extend intoit far enciugh to re'achthetransyerse hole; and means e xtendabletint o the transverse holeto lock the 'swa b'against movement in fa diree tiont'parallel to the long a x isfof the handle 2,."The insti ument ofelaim ,1 whe eini said handte 11s;

' metal wire twisited on tr itsel fi V i 

1. An instrument useful for contacting surfaces with soft material comprising an elongated handle having an axial hole in the end thereof and a transverse hole through the side thereof with the transverse hole intersecting the axial hole and being of larger diameter than the axial hole; a swab connected to a stiff, bendable stem with the stem being dimensioned to be insertable into the axial hole and to extend into it far enough to reach the transverse hole; and means extendable into the transverse hole to lock the swab against movement in a direction parallel to the long axis of the handle.
 2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said handle is provided with an axial hole and a transverse hole at either end.
 3. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said means extendable into said transverse hole is a wooden pin.
 4. The instrument of claim 1 wherein said swab is formed of a short length of twine held in the loop of a metal wire twisted onto itself. 